Antifriction bearing



Patented Oct. 30, 1928-.

UNITED STATI-:s

1,689,450 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGo,`ILLINOIs, Assrenon fro w. II. MINER, INC.,OF

' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ANTIFRICTION BEARING.

Application filed February 5,1926. Serial No. 863161.

This invention relates to anti-friction bearings.

Cne object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andefficient anti-.friction bearing, especially adapted for a railway `carside bearing, in which the parts are so .arranged that the anti-frictionelement is automatically returned to normal .centered position when freefrom load.

Another object of the invention is to provide a side bearing of thecharacter above referred to, in which .a vertically adjustable bearingplate is utilized upon Which an antifriction element operates, inconjunction with mechanism for centering said element, including meansdisposed at opposite sides thereof and normally bearing upon the same,which means are so arranged as to yieldablly maintain said centeringmechanism and said element in assembled relation with respect to thebearing, While permitting detachment of the centering mechanism andelement from the bearing to gain access to the bearing plate for thepurpose of adjusting the same.

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear fromthe .description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. l is avertical sectional view taken through the ends vof the body and truckholsters of al railway car and through the side bearing, showing myimprovements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top planview of the bearing illustrated in Fig. l, showing rthe same detachedfrom the truck bolster. Fig. 3 is -a transverse vertical sectional viewof the invention taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 4 afragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing aslightly different embodiment vof the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings., l0 denotesthe underside of the body bolster and 11 the Lipper side of thecorrespondingatruck bolster. The improved side bearing is shown asapplied to the truck boli Ster and comprising broadly a mounting,retainer or housing A; an adjustable bearing plate B, .anti-frictionelement C; and centering means D-D The hoiisingor retainer A comprises agenerally rectangular boxlike member having side walls 20--2 0,endwa.lls121- 21, and a bottom 22. Laterally extending securing lugs 102are disposed adjacent each end of the housing or retainer, which may besecured to the plate 1l by rivets 103 as shown in Fig. 1. Theside Walls20-20 of the housing are inwardly offset toward each other as indicatedat 23-23 to provide at each side ofthe housing oppositely disposedabutments 24--24 `extending vertically from the top to bottom of thehousing. Said side Walls are further provided with vertically disposedslots or openings 25-25 adapted to permit the insertion of a bar intothe housing for prying the plate B and anti-friction element C loosefrom theretainer. The end Walls 21-21 are similar in formation exceptfor their opposite disposition and each end wall `is centrally OH- setoutwardly to provide oppositely disposed horizontally extending springpockets 26-26, each of said pockets being of such diameter as to.accommodate a spring of considerable size, the pockets opening inwardlytoward the Center of the bearing and terminating at the inner face ofeach end wall.

The adjustable bearingplate arrangementB comprises a flat plate 27, andadjusting sliims 28. The bearing plate'27 is centrally disposed andrests upon the shinis 28 which are disposed between tlie end walls 21-21below the spring pockets, the shims 28 being removable from beneath theplate 27 and sliims added, removed, or substituted therefor, when it ,isdesired to adjust the vertical height of said plate as hereinafter morefully described.

The anti-friction element C, asshown, is in the form of a trulycylindrical roller disposed in the housing or retainer and adapted toroll back and forth upon the bearing yplate 27.

The centering means D-D are two in number, one of the same beingdisposed upon one side of the roller, and the other upon the oppositeside of the roller. The .cen-tering means D at one side of theanti-friction element comprise a transmitting member '29 which extendstransversely across the housing and is adapted to have its opposite endsabut against the abutments 24-124 on vt-he side walls 20-20 of thehousing, to 'limit its movement toward the element C. The inner face ofeach transmitting'member 29 is curved upon a radius slightly greaterthan that of the anti-friction element C, as indicatedxatBO, and thecurved lface is adapted to bear against Said anti-friction elementfC.The greater radius of curvature of the bearing face 30 of eachtransmitting -member is for the purpose of permitting Aadjustnzient ofthe vertical height of the anti-friction elcment C without interferingwith the operation of the centering means, as will be understood. Eachtransmitting member 29 on its rear face is provided with a socket 3l forthe reception of one end of a coiled spring` 32, said coiled springfitting into the socket 3l and extending into the pocket 2G, whereby theopposite end thereof is in almtment with the end wall 83 of said pocket,the spring operating to press the transmitting member 29 toward theroller, and by reason of the fact that the spring is confined tolongitudinal movement in the pocket 26, and engages in the socket 3l ofthe transmitting men'iber, each centering means D is permitted yieldablemovement only in a path substantially parallel to the path of travel ofthe anti-fri 'onV element, while being res rained against movement at anangle to the path of travel of the anti-friction element, or in avertical direction. The centering means D, at the oppositeside of theroller C are identically similar to that just described except for itsop iosite disposition, and the same reference characters will beuntilized for de-ignating like parts of both.

In operation, assuming that the anti-fifetion element C is moving underload in a right hand direction, as viewed in l, the right handtransmitting element 29 is carried therewith compressing the right handspring 32, while the left hand transmitting member is held relativelystationary by reason of its engagement with the abutments 24-24 at theleft hand end of the housing. VVl'ien the anti-friction element C isfreed from load, the energy stored in the spring 32 presses thetransmitting member 29 inwardly7 which bearing upon the antifrictionelement C ret-urns the same toward central position. The operation ofthe centering means, upon movement of the antifriction element to theleft, as viewed in V Fig l, is the reverse of that just described.

W'hen it is desired to adjust the vertical height of the anti-frictionelement C, when the truck is removed from the car, a bar may be insertedinto the housing through the openings 25 and the anti-friction element Cpried out of the housing, the transmitting members 29-29 of courseyielding during this operation. One or both of the transmitting members29-29 are then removed by compressing the springs 32-32, after which thesprings 32-32 may be removed so as to render the adjustable bearingplate 27 accessible, and one or more of the shims 28 may be inserted orremoved, or other shims substituted therefor, as desired, to adjust thevertical height of the bearing plate. The centering means then may bereplaced in position, and the roller pressed into the housing betweenthe transmitting members 29, by allowing the weightof the car to restthereon when the truck is replaced in operative position7 after whichthe bearing again ready for operation.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a slightly different embodiment of theinvention is conteniplated, and although only one-half of the bearing isdisclosed in Fig. 4, it will be understood that the end not shown isidentically similar to the portion shown. ln this construction a housingA is provided which includes opposite side walls, one of which isindicated at 50, each of said side walls being vertically arranged andhaving smooth .inner surfaces. The housing is also provided with endwalls as indicated at 5l, each end wall having a pocket 52 formedtherein by ottsetting the said end wall 51 outwardly, the end wall 5land pocket 52 being cut out as indicated at 53 for a purpose hereinafterreferred to.

Mounted upon the bottom of the housing is an adjustable bearing platearrangement B comprising a `bearing plate proper as indicated at 54 anda. plurality of shims 55 disposed beneath said bearing plate, thebearing plate 54 and shims 55 being held against longitudinal movementor displacement with reference to the housing A by central abutments 56formed at the opposite sides of the housing. The anti-friction element Cis in the form of a truly cylindrical roller and is identically similarto the anti-friction element C heretofore referred to.

Centering means are arranged at opposite sides of the roller in a mannersimilar to that disclosed in connection with Fig. l. rThe centeringmeans at one side of the roller only are shown in Fig. 4, but it will beunderstood that the centering means not shown are similar to those whichare illustrated in F ig. 4. The centering means D, as shown, comprise atransmitting element 57 and a coiled spring 58. llhe transmitting member57 has an engaging face 59 adapted to bear against the anti-frictionelement C, said member 57 being curved as indicated at 60 So as toengage the anti-friction element C above the central axis thereof. Therear face of the transmitting member 57 is provided with a cylindricalextension 6l which telescopically tits into the pocket 52. Thetransmitting member 57 is also provided with an extension 62 adapted toabut against the end of the bearing plate 54 so as to limit the inwardmovement of the transmitting member 57 the cut out portion 53 of the end'wall 5l and pocket 52 serving to permit movement of the extension 62with reference to the housing. The spring 58 projects into thecylindrical extension 6l upon the transmitting member 57, and bears uponthe rear wall of the transmitting` men'iber 57 and upon the end wall ofthe pocket 52.

In operation, assuming the anti-friction element C to be moving underthe load toward the right as viewed in Fig. 4, the transllfi Lease/15omitting element 57 will be carried therewith, compressing the spring 58,which operates to urge the anti-friction element C toward centralposition when load is removed therefrom, the inward movement of thetransmitting member 57 being arrested by abutment of the extension G2with the end of the bearing plate 54. Then it is desired to remove theantifriction element C the same is forced upwardly, the transmittingmembers on each side thereof yielding to permit this movement, afterwhich the bearing plate is removed, releasing the transmitting membersand springs, which are also removed. rlhe adjusting shims are thenchanged, after which the springs and transmitting members are reinsertedin position, and the bearing plate replaced. The anti-friction elementis then pressed into the retainer between the transmitting members.

In the above described arrangements it will be appreciated that thetransmitting members and the springs 3Q-32, have the function ofcentering the anti-friction element as well as operating to hold eachother in assembled .relation, while engagement of the centering meanswith the anti-friction element above the central axis thereof,rmaintainsthe same in assembled relation with reference to the retainer; thecentering means and anti-friction element being capable of removal whendesired by compressing the springs, to release the parts, thereby makingthe bearing plate arrangement accessible for adjustment.

Thile I have herein shown and described what I now consider thepreferred manner of carrying out the invention, the same is merelyillustrative, and I contemplate all changes and modifications that comewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In an anti-friction bearing of the character described, thecombination with a housing having side and end walls, said side wallsbeing provided with inwardly extending means providing abutments, andsaid end walls having horizontally extending pockets open at their innerends; an adjustable. bearing plate comprising adjusting shims and abearing plate proper resting upon said shims; an anti-friction rolleradapted to move back and forth on said bearing plate; transmittingmembers having curved faces engaging said anti-friction element andadapted to contact the abutments on the side walls: of the said retainerto limit inward movement thereof, eac-h of said transmitting membersbeing provided with a socket upon its rear face; and a coiled springdisposed in each of said pockets bearing upon thel related transmittingmember and fitting into the socket of the same.

2. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with an anti-frictionelement having opposite sides o-f said anti-friction element and adaptedto engage the curved bearing surface of the same above the central axisthereof to maintain said element in assembled relation with respect tothe housing; and resilient means opposing movement of each follower, andsaid follower members being i adapted to be forced apart against t-hetension of the resilient means thereby freeing the anti-friction meansto permit the same to be removed through said opening, removal ofsaidanti-friotion element also freeing said followers for removalthrough said opening.

3. In an anti-friction bearing, the combination with a housing adaptedto be secured to a bolster, and provided with an opening; of ananti-friction roller element 'within the housing adapted to move backand forth and project through said opening into engagement with anopposed bolster, said anti-friction element being insertable andremovable through said opening when said housing is in position on saidbolster; of centering means for said anti-friction element includingcentrally arranged follower members having curved bearing surfacesengaging said element, one of said members being disposed at each sideof said anti-friction element and in the path of the bearing surfacethereof; means on said housing providing centrally disposed pocketstelescopically receiving said members; means yieldingly opposing'movement of each member independently, said members being adapted to beforced apart against said yielding means to effect removal of the rollerthrough said opening.

t. In an anti-friction bearing, the combi-` nation with a housingprovided with a bearing surface; of an anti-friction roller elementadapted to move back and forth upon said bearing surface, said housing'having an opening through which the roller element projects, said rollerelement being insertable and removable through said opening; andcentering mechanism interengaged with said housing, at each side of theroller element and in the path of the bearing surface and in line withsaid opening thereof, each of said followers having aY curved bearingsurface engaging and including a follower disposedv the periphery of theroller, said curved surfaces extending above Vthe center of the rollerto maintain the same assembled with the housing; and resilient meansadapted to urge said followers toward the roller element, said followersbeing adapted to be forced apart to permit removal of the roller throughsaid opening, thereby freeing said followers for vertical removalthrough said opening of the housing.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I. have hereunto subscribed myname this 28th day of January 1926.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

